Kandao QooCam vs Insta360 One: Which should you choose?

The Kandao QooCam is an upcoming 360 camera from one of the top manufactures of professional 360 rigs. The QooCam is set to be one of the more interesting additions to the current line up of 360 cameras, with depth mapping and refocusing capabilities. There are plenty of other 360 cameras on the market, and one of the most popular is the Insta360 One. The One is also a pretty innovative camera, with gimbals like stabilization and software that can create cinematic video. Soon you may need to decide whether you should get a QooCam or Insta360. We’ll take a look at the specs, available footage and the strengths/weaknesses of both cameras.

As the QooCam has not yet been released we won’t be able to make any definitive conclusions until I get one myself, but hopefully this comparison will help in the meantime.

Specs Analysis

If we just look at the specs of both cameras than the QooCam seems to have the edge. Both shoot 360 video at the same 4K resolution but the QooCam has an extra lens that can be used to create 3D 180 video. The Qoocam also has some editing modes that the Insta360 One doesn’t have, for example the ability to refocus an image after your shot it, using depth mapping technology.

Having said that, the Insta360 One does have some tricks up its sleeve. The stabilization technology is among the best of any camera, and while the QooCam does have internal stabilization, it remains to be seem if it’s a match for the Insta360. The One also has a very good app for creating “overcapture” video, which means it can create flat video from you 360 footage. It seems like the QooCam will have a similar feature, but it remains to be seen whether the software will be as slick.

Video

Let’s take a look at the video from each camera. Unfortunately there is no 360 video samples from the QooCam, but we do have re-framaed video so we can at least compare these two. Watch the video below to see all the example footage currently available as well as my analysis of the Qoocam

My first impressions of the QooCam video is that it’s roughly on the same level as other 360 cameras in the same price range. The video suffers from the same lack of sharpness that comes with most 360 cameras, however the colors and saturation look great, as does the stabilization. The biggest advantage the QooCam has is that is can move its lenses so that two of them face horizontally, allowing the camera to create 180 video in 3D. When shooting in 180 mode the resolution remains the same, which means it should be much sharper.

The Insta360 One can shoot video at the same resolution as the QooCam. The One received a big upgrade last month which improved the quality of the video as well as how the stabilization works. Check the video below to see some example videos from the latest update:

The Insta360 One does now feature amazing stabilization, so it’s great for shooting video on the move. The quality can sometimes be lacking in certain environments, but in well lit areas the video can look pretty good. There does sometimes tend to be some over saturation but it can be corrected with filters in the app. The Insta360 One main drawback is the relatively basic lenses that limit the quality of the video.

Photography

Both the QooCam and the Insta360 One are capable of shooting 360 photos, however there are some differences between the two. For a start the Insta360 One can create much higher resolution photos, up to 23 megapixels whereas the QooCam is limited to just 9.3

QooCam 360 Photo:

While the QooCam is clearly limited in terms of image resolution, it does have some advantaged. The QooCam is capable of depth mapping, which means it may be able to scan a whole room in three dimentions. The feature also allows you to refocus your image after you’ve taken it.

Insta360 One Photo

360 photos shot with the Insta360 One are very sharp thanks to the 23 megapixels it has to play with. Compared to the Qoocam photo the above image is much clearer, which will be especially noticeable on larger screens. The Insta360 One can also shoot in RAW DNG format which allows for much great detail and capacity for editing.

Other Considerations

Compatibility: Both cameras are compatible with iPhone’s and Android phones, however to attach the Insta360 One to your phone an adapter is required.

Software: The QooCam app hasn’t been released yet so it’s hard to make a direct comparison, however it does appear that the editing features will be similar to the Insta360 One app. For example Kandao has demonstrated that the app will allow you to follow a certain object in your video. You can also add key frames to direct where the camera points at any given point. The deciding factor will be how stable and user-friendly the app is.

Which to choose?

It’s hard to say for sure until the QooCam is released in August. There is a significant price difference between the two and the Insta360 certainly seems to be able to shoot better photos. Having said that I do think it’s worth waiting for the QooCam so we can see how well its more unique features work. The ability to shoot 180 3D and 360 is particularly interesting, as is the refocusing feature. If I were you I would wait and see, especially if you are more interested in shooting video rather than photos.

Check out where you can order both cameras here:

Insta360 One

The 360 camera with more features than you can shake a stick at! Excellent value for money.